OpenAI plans to sue Apple: the integration results of ChatGPT have been disappointing, as tech giants attempt to break the deadlock in their partnership

The Information reported on the 14th that OpenAI is quite dissatisfied with the integration results of its ChatGPT with Apple, and has hired an external law firm to consider legal action against Apple, including issuing a notice of breach of contract. This reflects the rapid deterioration of the cooperation between the two tech giants.

OpenAI and Apple break down: ChatGPT integration results fall short of expectations

The cooperation was initially announced at Apple’s 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024, when ChatGPT would be deeply integrated into Apple’s operating system as an extended option for Siri, and embedded into the iPhone “Visual Intelligence” feature. This would allow users to analyze their surroundings in real time through the camera, and send images to ChatGPT for Q&A.

However, OpenAI was reportedly greatly disappointed with the outcome of the collaboration. OpenAI had originally expected this integration to bring the company tens of billions of Dollars in subscription revenue and establish a core position in the most widely used mobile ecosystem worldwide. But in reality, ChatGPT’s functionality was “buried” in the interface design, making it difficult for users to find. As a result, actual revenue fell far short of expectations.

An OpenAI executive said helplessly: “Apple’s attitude at the time was to ask OpenAI to ‘go all in and trust us,’ but the final result was disappointing.”

(Apple announces opening Siri integration for third-party AI assistants—does the iPhone become the best AI distribution layer?)

Legal action takes shape: a notice of breach may be the first step

At present, OpenAI has hired an external law firm to seek legal assistance. It is rumored that it may send a notice of breach of contract to Apple, but not necessarily escalate into a lawsuit immediately. Legal professionals analyzed that OpenAI may prefer to apply pressure first through legal notices, leaving flexibility for subsequent negotiations or litigation.

Notably, any formal legal action is expected to be initiated only after the current trial phase of the existing lawsuit between OpenAI and Elon Musk concludes. Musk’s lawsuit aims to accuse OpenAI of departing from its nonprofit founding purpose, and it is still ongoing. For OpenAI, having to deal with two legal battle fronts at the same time is undoubtedly a major challenge.

Apple’s counterattack: privacy concerns and hardware competition conflict at the core

However, according to reports, Apple has concerns about OpenAI’s privacy protection standards, and is also unhappy with OpenAI’s aggressive push into the hardware space, which the outside world views as a direct challenge to Apple. This also means the contradictions between the two have long gone beyond a mere issue of integration results, and instead involve deeper conflicts in interests and direction.

(OpenAI phone supply chain update: MediaTek exclusive processors? Mass production schedule moved up to H1 2027)

In addition, Apple has already found other paths. In January this year, Apple and Google signed a multi-year agreement: Google Gemini would provide AI model support for the next generation of Apple Intelligence, and Apple would pay Google about $1 billion annually. Google’s involvement further weakens OpenAI’s strategic position within the Apple ecosystem.

History repeats itself: recalling Apple partners’ records of “tearing apart”

This incident is not a one-off case. Looking back, Apple has long had a pattern in dealing with cooperation partners: first tightly embracing them, then taking a dominant stance, and even ultimately marginalizing the other party.

The most well-known example is Google Maps. As a core feature of the first-generation iPhone, Google Maps was replaced by Apple’s own map service in 2012, and the public apparently did not buy into it. Adobe also has painful memories: Steve Jobs refused to support Flash technology on the iPhone and iPad, and in 2010 he published an open letter explaining the reasons. After that, Flash never recovered. The music streaming platform Spotify, meanwhile, has long accused Apple of using its App Store dominance to suppress competitors, which ultimately led the European Commission in March 2024 to rule that Apple violated regulations and impose a fine of nearly €1.8 billion.

These cases repeatedly show that for any software company, Apple’s platform is indeed a battlefield that everyone fights for, but it is also an “away ground” where you can be pushed out at any time.

Facing pressure on all fronts: OpenAI is handling multiple fronts at once

OpenAI’s predicament is not limited to this. In addition to the breakdown of its cooperation with Apple, OpenAI is also deeply entangled in legal disputes with Musk, and there are reports of friction between OpenAI and Microsoft during preparations for an IPO. As OpenAI’s largest funder and infrastructure cooperation partner, the strained relationship has left outsiders questioning where OpenAI’s future development is headed.

Whether OpenAI and Apple will truly go to court is still unknown. But this most closely watched cooperation case in the tech industry has already reached the edge of a breakdown that may end up in legal action.

This article: OpenAI is considering suing Apple—ChatGPT integration results are far from satisfactory; Big Tech cooperation breaks down first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.